Predict Effective Fracture Conductivities
Predict-K Fracture Modeling Software
Quick to Learn.
Quick to Run.
Set up and run in less than 30 minutes
Predict-k is easy to learn, allows for fast evaluation of how various factors affect well performance, and is included with Consortium membership.
Predict-k is an analytical model that incorporates over 35 years of research conducted by the Consortium on behalf of its members into the behavior of proppants and frac fluids over time at reservoir conditions. Baseline conductivity measurements conducted in the lab in accordance with API standards represent a starting point for predictions of actual conductivity. To obtain effective conductivity in the reservoir (the conductivity that is controlling fractured well performance) requires incorporating the various conductivity damage mechanisms that exist in all cases.
Damage mechanisms include:
Time at stress
Frac fluid damage
Multi-phase flow
Embedment and spalling
Cyclic stress
Conductivity hysteresis
Temperature
Non-Darcy effects
Over its 35+ year history the Consortium has conducted research onto all of these damage mechanisms. Predict-k is a tool that simultaneously incorporates all of these damage mechanisms into a prediction of proppant conductivity at reservoir conditions with time. Cumulatively these mechanisms will result in effective conductivities that are often 1% or less of lab measurements.
Proppants available for use in Predict-k have been tested by Stim-Lab with the samples having been donated by a member company. The number of available proppants has expanded over time and currently included various types and sizes of ceramic proppants (some resin coated), white sands and brown sands of various sizes (some resin coated) and most recently a number of regional in-basin sands.
Predict-k operates in three basic modes:
Baseline Conductivity
Allows for easy comparison of lab measured conductivities for
proppants of interest.
Dynamic Conductivity
Observe the effects of frac dimensions, flow rates, and frac fluid damage on effective conductivity to easily compare proppants.
Production
Model well performance based on correlations developed from Consortium research to predict effective conductivities with time.